Identifying 49ers' offensive players to build around at every position

A cornerstone is a player worth building around or having a significant role over an extended period. In the NFL, that window usually last three or four seasons based on how quickly rosters turn over through attrition, coaching changes or team’s electing to go younger and/or cheaper through the NFL draft.

A mandate for the 49ers this year is to identify their cornerstone pieces worth keeping around for the future. It’s been clear early in Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch’s tenures that 2017 was all about tearing things down to begin laying the foundation for sustainable contention going forward.

And it’s the right approach to take. Tying to “reload,” as fired GM Trent Baalke once put it, rather than rebuild, is what led to San Francisco going through four coaches in four seasons to get to this point. Taking a full season (or two) to build from the ground up is the right way to construct a viable program.

Sustainability often lies in continuity. Look at the teams that are most often in the conversation for Super Bowls every year. The Seahawks (Pete Carroll, eight seasons), Steelers (Mike Tomlin, 11 seasons) and Patriots (Bill Belichick, 18 seasons) have built systems to maximize their personnel because of stability. Their players don’t have to worry about learning a new playbook each spring.

The 49ers have been among the NFL’s worst teams the last three years because they’ve been the least stable.

So with Shanahan and Lynch here for the long haul after signing six-year contracts in February, let’s take a look at their cornerstone players at all offensive positions to keep around through the rebuilding project.

Offensive line: Trent Brown

Brown, a seventh-round pick in 2015, is eligible for a contract extension after the season before his rookie deal is up after 2018. And he might become the team’s highest paid non-quarterback if he gets a new deal. After all, tackle is a premium position in charge of neutralizing the most impactful player on the defense — the opponents’ best edge rusher.

(Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Brown, 24, is one of San Francisco’s most promising youngsters given his size and athleticism. But there are concerns about making him one of the highest paid players. He was a seventh-round pick due to questions about his weight which haven’t subsided since he became a starter last season. Brown is massive (6-8, 355) and should continue to shed pounds in order to maximize his potential as he gets older.

For now, Brown is cornerstone because he can stick at right tackle while Joe Staley, 33, wades through the later portion of his career. Or, Brown could switch to the left side and force the team to finds its next young tackle in the NFL draft, perhaps as soon as the coming spring.

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